Hazaribagh- Even the free rations provided by the government to the poor in the district have attracted the greedy eyes of the wealthy. Individuals who pay income tax and own four-wheeled vehicles have been usurping the entitlements of the poor and appropriating their rations for years. An investigation by the District Supply Officer revealed 5,445 ineligible ration cardholders who were consuming rations meant for the poor. Both the central and state governments distribute free rations to the poor through ration cards, with the sole objective of ensuring that no poor person goes hungry. In Hazaribagh district, the central government issues ration cards to the poor under the NFSA scheme; 316,339 people in the district hold these cards. Meanwhile, the state government distributes free rations through ‘Green Cards,’ with 39,834 Green Card holders in the district. Additionally, Antyodaya cards and ‘White Cards’ are issued. Antyodaya cards are meant for the extremely poor, with approximately 25,000 such cardholders. White cards are issued to the general population, numbering 24,451; these cardholders receive only kerosene. Green Card and NFSA cardholders receive five kilograms of food grain per person—comprising two kilograms of wheat and three kilograms of rice. If one of the two grains is unavailable, the full five-kilogram quota per member is provided as a single type of grain. In contrast, Antyodaya cardholders receive 35 kilograms of food grain per family per month, consisting of 14 kilograms of wheat and 21 kilograms of rice. Ineligible individuals in the district are undermining the intent of the central and state governments. Following complaints, District Supply Officer Murali Yadav conducted an inquiry and identified 4,574 ration cardholders who pay income tax—individuals who are ineligible to hold Green or NFSA cards. Furthermore, 802 cardholders own four-wheeled vehicles, and 69 cardholders pay an annual GST of ₹25 lakh. In total, 5,445 ineligible individuals were found to be consuming rations meant for the poor. The District Supply Department has cancelled the ration cards of all these individuals. The number of such ineligible persons is expected to rise further.
District Supply Officer Murali Yadav stated that completing the KYC process has become mandatory for all cardholders. Every family member listed on the card must undergo KYC verification; cardholders who fail to do so will not receive rations.
“The investigation is ongoing, and further revelations are expected. Approximately 7,909 cardholders have been identified who are paying income tax while also availing ration benefits; the probe into these cases is currently underway. Of these, the ration cards of 4,574 individuals have already been cancelled. Similarly, there are 1,487 four-wheeler owners, out of which 802 have had their ration cards cancelled, with the remaining cases still under investigation. There are 82 individuals paying more than ₹25 lakh in annual GST; the ration cards of 69 of them have been cancelled so far, and the rest will be cancelled once the verification process is complete. Once these names are removed, ration cards will be issued to eligible individuals to fill the vacancies,” said Murali Yadav, District Supply Officer.